KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 – Local hip-hop pioneer Nico has reportedly passed away in his sleep in Kampung Baru after completing a Grab driving shift last night.
The 52-year-old, whose real name was Abdul Fashah Abdul Aziz, had stopped by his friend’s home to rest. He was found unresponsive at around 11pm and later pronounced dead.
“He would often drop by Kampung Baru even though he lived in Cheras. That night, he stopped by briefly after finishing his Grab driving shift,” his former manager Ayob Abd Majid was quoted saying by Kosmo!.
“Suddenly, his friend tried to wake him, but he was unresponsive. I received a call about it at around 11.15pm.
“His body was then taken to Kuala Lumpur Hospital for a post-mortem,” he added.
Ayob added that the cause of death has not been confirmed, with the family awaiting the post-mortem report.
Nico gained fame in the early 1990s as part of the trio Nico, alongside Affa and Dino.
Their breakout hit Inilah Nasibku became a sensation in 1993, cementing their place in the local music scene.
The group’s debut album Buatan Los Angeles was followed by Realiti in 1995 and Alamak! in 1996.
After a hiatus, Nico made a comeback in 2003 with Ops Kecoh, introducing new member Ezad.
The original members later regrouped under the name Nico G and continued to be active in the Malaysian hip-hop community.
